Revisiting Rudolph: Santa could have used some sensitivity training

I had this exact same thought while watching this eposide. Frankly, ALL the adults (exept maybe Rudolph's mom?) are downright assholes. Even the "king" on the Island of Misfit Toys is frighteningly resigned to his place in the oppressive society.

If I recall, Santa is a sexist asshole in The Year Without a Santa Claus too. But it's got Heat-Miser and Snow-Miser, so all is forgiven.

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reminds me when i saw snow white a few years ago and realized that she was also quite...a....b-tch.

I look forward to watcing this show every year and each year I feel the same about how discriminatory this tale is. As I'm watching I catch myself saying out loud how sad it is and the pain I feel for this poor little reindeer. I keep reminding myself this was pre-stonewall (not to turn this politicial) but it was from the 60's. Still, I look forward to watching it each year.  It literally floods my eyes with tears at the end when they take off and the first stop is to pick up the misfit toys. The sight of them flying in the air.. makes me feel like I'm 6 years old again and the anticipation of Christmas and how much I love this time of year.  

Each year I also watch A Charlie Brown Christmas and think the same about poor ol blockhead Charlie Brown. Another poor soul who faces discrimination on a daily basis.

  I'm confused. Is it bitch slap or slap a bitch?

Remeber in "Rudolph" when Mrs. Claus says "Eat, Santa, eat!  No one likes a skinny Santa!"  It's absolutely clear that Mrs. Claus agrees with your description of the mean and sexist Santa, and she's trying her best to clog Santa's arteries with fatty foods (perhaps she'll inherit the toy shop?).

Notably, in the other Rankin-Bass shows, Santa has a different Mrs. Claus.  I've always wondered: Was the "Rudolph" version of Mrs. Claus Santa's first wife?  Did she finally get fed up and run off with an elf?  Or did something more nefarious take place?  Maybe Santa had her "disappeared," if you know what I mean.  Perhaps there's an unaired holiday special entitled "The Year Santa Claus Went on Trial for Murder" somehwere in the Rankin-Bass vaults?

This post made my day. It's amazing how things that seemed benign in our youth actually are discriminatory and/or patriarchal. I wonder, however, if this tale would be told differently today....

...but those jerks on the Island of Misfit Toys were even worse. What a bunch of freaks: A fish that flew, a train with square wheels, some queen named "Charlie in the Box". And then there was that poor, innocent doll who had absolutely nothing wrong with herself. Beautiful, long, flowing yarn hair...a fetching jumper...homegirl had it going on. And then those losers go and lie to her, and they're all like, "yeah, stay here with us and join our freakshow, you're a misfit too." Ugh. As if the pretty people didn't have enough to worry about, now they have these creeps trying to ruin their self-esteem. I just pray that she flew down the chimney of a good therapist.